Chapter 66: Bocchi-chan: Ren, you should start a harem
Kessoku Band's performance was a great success. Even though Hitori could only showcase about seventy percent of her ability due to nervousness, it was still enough to make her stand out as the best in Kessoku Band.
The only regret was that she wasn't the lead vocalist. The song was titled "Small Love Song," an inner cry she didn't dare voice aloud, yet it was Ikuyo who sang it.
This left Ren in a state of both relief and helplessness, though overall, he was still very happy.
"That's really amazing," Anon said dejectedly yet admiringly. At the very least, she couldn't write a song like that, nor could she play the guitar as well as Hitori.
She's quite the character.
Yuno and Satou were also left speechless. They had never understood music before and weren't skilled in this area. This time, they were thoroughly convinced of their defeat.
Meanwhile, Karen's eyes sparkled. She had already heard Ren's "Fireworks" before, and now Hitori responded with "Small Love Song." She found it incredibly romantic and enviable.
"Cheers!"
At the celebration party, Nijika and Ikuyo happily raised their glasses filled with orange juice. Everyone in Kessoku Band was overjoyed. Ryo was already devouring the food—rumor had it she had performed on an empty stomach today.
Hitori sat beside Ren, not as exuberant as Nijika and the others. She was happy too but didn't dare express it boldly, quietly rejoicing as she watched her friends' joyful expressions.
"Not too tired, are you?" Ren asked as he took out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Hitori's forehead. Performing was more exhausting than one might think. Even after just two songs, Nijika's hands were a bit sore.
"Not tired, and I'm really happy."
Hitori looked up and replied softly, a faint smile on her face. After the flawless performance, she felt her life was now complete.
But her heart was no longer at the celebration party. All she wanted was to return to their little world with Ren and finish the words left unsung in the song.
Since they were all high school students, no one drank alcohol. After eating and drinking their fill, they disbanded.
It was a shared understanding that Ren and Hitori would go on a date next. Some of them cast teasing glances at Hitori, which made her deeply embarrassed.
However, the looks from others didn't make her feel as ashamed. Satou tried hard to conceal her disgust, Yuno showed a trace of sorrow, and Anon, though not as extreme, still seemed somewhat downcast.
These heavy gazes almost suffocated Hitori, forcing her to face the cold reality once again. Reluctantly, she knew she would have to break her friends' hearts.
The joy she had felt earlier vanished as she lowered her head after getting into the car. Ren glanced at her but said nothing during the ride.
...
"Bocchi-chan, what do you think about Yuno and the others?" Ren broached the topic late at night while holding a breathless Hitori in his arms.
"I don't know..."
Hitori's body stiffened momentarily before she replied with confusion. Having only learned to make friends in high school, she had no idea how to handle such situations.
So whenever Yuno said she wanted to hang out with Ren, Hitori would agree—it was both an act of trust and a passive compromise.
"If that's the case, I think distancing yourself from them is the best choice. What do you think?"
Seeing Hitori's hesitation, Ren offered her a solution. He was determined not to let things continue this way, or else his feelings might change.
Hitori gripped Ren's wrist, torn and agonizing over whether there was a perfect solution. Was it truly impossible for friends and a boyfriend to coexist harmoniously?
"Bocchi-chan?" Ren pressed softly, needing a clear answer from Hitori.
"Ren... What if we accept Yuno and the others' feelings? I wouldn't mind." After thinking for a long time, Hitori turned to face Ren and voiced her thoughts. This was an idea she had just come up with—before this, she had never had friends or been in a relationship.
With no experience to draw from, she could only rely on her own reasoning to find a solution. After much contemplation, she believed it was better to let them join in rather than continue hurting her friends' feelings.
Before meeting Ren, she had never considered romance, so her understanding of love was both nonexistent and awkward.
She thought that since Yuno and the others also liked Ren, weren't they all the same kind of people? Why fight to the death? Wouldn't it be better to get along happily?
Moreover, she didn't ask for much—just that Ren wouldn't abandon her and would save a small corner in his heart for her.
As a girlfriend, she knew she was inadequate. Hitori had come to realize this.
She didn't know how to nurture or maintain a relationship, and she struggled to take initiative—it was just her nature, something that would take three or four years to change.
And immersed in Ren's tenderness, she found it hard to muster the motivation for such change. Content to live happily without ambition, she simply had no drive to transform herself. She was already satisfied with her current life.
A happier, more dreamlike existence was still something she didn't dare to imagine.
So, to avoid putting Ren in a difficult position and to prevent her friends from getting hurt, Hitori thought it would be best for everyone to be happy together. She truly didn't mind.
"?"
"Are you suggesting I start a harem?"
Ren never expected Hitori to say such a thing. He had never even considered the idea of a harem—wasn't love supposed to be one-on-one? How could Hitori agree to him accepting Yuno and the others?
"Yeah, that way Yuno and Anon can do the things I can't." The more Hitori thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She couldn't cook, couldn't take care of others, and even basic chores were a struggle for her. If Yuno and the others were around, they could share these responsibilities for Ren.
Besides, currently, it was only her friends who had feelings for Ren. If it were strangers, Hitori believed she might not back down at critical moments, but most of the time, she wouldn't dare to compete. If someone confronted her directly, she might even turn into a "wild hammer snake" and hide under the sofa.
How much courage did she really have? Hitori knew her limits all too well.
But having allies makes all the difference. Yuno and the others are certainly more daring and strategic than her. If any vixens try to seduce Ren later, they'll definitely handle it.
"No, this is just too much to ask, isn't it?"
Ren's perspective differed from Hitori's—he still couldn't accept such an arrangement.
"But I'm more worried about you leaving me, Ren. If we were to compete fairly and you had to choose between us... you probably wouldn't pick me, would you...?"
"So if you ever feel tempted, please don't abandon me, okay? I support you having a harem, Ren."
Hitori spoke cautiously. Of course, her motives weren't purely about finding allies—this approach would also increase her importance in Ren's heart.
Though she'd never been in a relationship before, Hitori understood how rare it was for a girl to consent to and support her boyfriend having a harem. In her family, if her father ever showed the slightest inclination toward another woman, her gentle and kind mother would absolutely grab a kitchen knife.
But if she could support Ren having a harem, then even with her personality flaws and being only slightly prettier than average, her competitive standing in Ren's heart would improve significantly, right?
Yuno and the others might not be willing to let Ren have a harem, but she was.
Even as a social recluse, Hitori would awaken for the sake of her own happiness.
"Let me think about this properly."
Ren was stunned by Hitori's resolution. Even with wealth and a large house, free from any material concerns, he had never considered keeping a harem or lovers. Yet here was Hitori telling him he could, that she supported and accepted it.
This undoubtedly delivered a severe shock to Ren's fundamental values.
He needed to carefully consider how to handle this situation.
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